Palaeography of Orissa

Book Detail

• Author: S. K. Acharya
• Brand: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number Of Pages: 360
• Release Date: 15-09-2005
• EAN: 9788124603062
• Package Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 1.1 inches
• Languages: English

Description:

This book provides a detailed study of the palaeography of Orissa from the third to the seventeenth century AD. Focusing on the evolution of the regional script of Orissa, it traces the journey from the Brāhmī script to the modern Oriya script, examining the various intermediate stages. The author delves into hundreds of copper plate and stone inscriptions, along with facsimiles of many original inscriptions, to explore the palaeographical peculiarities of the scripts prevalent in different sub-regional and regional kingdoms of ancient and medieval Orissa.

The study follows dominant stylistic nomenclatures to analyze these scripts and emphasizes the importance of geo-political forces in shaping the writing styles of various regions. The book argues that the process of “palaeographical segmentation ran parallel with linguistic segmentation,” which has been tested in the Orissan context. The development of the proto-regional and regional script of Orissa is studied within this framework. Additionally, the author addresses the long-standing debate regarding the parentage of the modern Oriya script, presenting political changes and ideologies of the ruling class as influential factors in the growth of the Oriya language and script.

This work is invaluable for scholars and students of history, culture, language, and literature, providing insights into the growth and development of languages and scripts in relation to the political and cultural evolution of a region.

Author Details:

S. K. Acharya is a distinguished scholar specializing in ancient scripts, palaeography, and regional languages of India. His in-depth research into the evolution of the Oriya script and its historical context has made significant contributions to the fields of linguistics and cultural history. Acharya’s work is essential for understanding the interactions between language, script, and the socio-political developments of historical regions.